This trip far exceeded our expectations.  Africa University indeed made us proud to be United Methodist when we stepped onto the campus. The terrain awesome, the people beautiful and the weather wonderful.

We divided into two work teams.  One team’s work included painting and sprucing up a house for a theology professor.  Another team worked on the farm building a foundation for a brick mushroom house plus installed a ceiling at the Piggery.

This was more than a work trip, or a trip to experience Africa

It was . . .

Seeing Maria Humbane (one of our own missionaries) in action at the after school program she directs and having these same children perform for us;

The Sunday morning service at Hilltop UMC, where the children sat in our laps during the service and ran after our bus as we were leaving;

The visit to the Old Mutare Mission, a Methodist orphanage for children who have lost their parents from AIDS and some themselves are infected;

The nightly devotions that truly exposed the gentle hearts of this team;

Becoming committed to Africa University ’s dream to finish the work;

Giving of ourselves, our possessions, to those God  put in our way;

Providing three meals a day to a hungry college student;

One team member providing financial aid to a child just dianogised with Aids;

Buying a mountain bike for Mr. Kumba, the gardener who had to walk many miles everyday;

and Singing hymns with African dignitaries from all over the continent while on a broken down bus.